Hey thats pretty good MPG for something that isn't supposed to get good MPG. I checked out the sister bronc you posted and boy o boy if you were to try a resto on it, it would take some serious time/money. But nonetheless it could be worth money if it drives and runs good. The body is only half the battle. If you buy and decide to drive it home, make sure you check fluids and steering linkages. Don't need something breaking on the trip home and you get in a crash

 

Thanks for the advice m8. Although it does sound strange to be hearing it instead of giving it.

It must be that time of the month or something. I just chewed out the next door neighbor lady an now got all the b----es pissed at me.

 

Haha nice, thats a great place to be... That advice is something most people already do without hearing it but i figured it would be a reminder . Be careful with them ladies bossman they can be some grizzly people when they want to be. I haven't had a girlfriend because of that.

 

I'm PAPA. I'm the BossMan!! And being always armed and crazy *** hell helps.

 

Haha good good.

 

Well Folks it was fun while it lasted. I have been running Jeff all over the Island for a week. Every day all day.

And well the old Bronk couldn't take it.

The rear window quit. After an hour or so tearing the switch out of the dash than unloading the back out the pass door I finally was able to get the window access panel off. As yet I don't know if the switch is out or the motor.

AND she is leaking coolant out the timing cover gasket in the water jacket to the water pump. Loosing the cap makes it drivable if ya keep an eye on the coolant level.

So I will be tearing her down to the timing gears to re-gasket her. She will get a new water pump for sure.

I plan to replace the gears and chain while in there. I know the old FE's and 351M/400's benefited from a straight up timing set. Is this the norm on the Windsor also? What do you all do? And what about a cam and lifters? It would not take much more to do that as well. As I have said before it is a 351W HO.

Line me out Guy's.

 

Sorry to hear the problems bud but it was bound to happen... These things are troopers though and can/will be fixed. I may know squat about the engine and cams an such but i have learned a lot about the rear motor and switch.

So. First to test both switch and motor, you will probably have to hack up the wiring a bit. You have to cut the 2 leads to the motor from said switch. Then apply a voltmeter/test light to the wires *from* the switch. Turn the switch and if you get a light or get a reading that looks normal (I would think about 12 volts or so) then the switch is good. If nothing then find a vehicle near by that you don't own and steal the battery out of it (Or i spose you COULD use your own car battery) and connect the 2 wires going to the motor, if your lucky it will buzz to life. If you happen to be unlucky then there will be nothing and you need a new motor. And if you have really bad luck it will be both switch and motor. If it happens to be the switch, there should be a few wires going from the tailgate frame into the tailgate and to the switch, if you can get to that (This is IF the motor works still) then you can bypass the switch till you acquire a new one or leave it be like mine. I hate not being able to use my key switch in mine . Since i assume you know how to reconnect the wires since you were a mechanic at one point i won't debate about the correct way to do that....

Best of luck sir.

 

On my 85 the key don't work as a switch. Damn I wish it did. Should it? I see no sign of it ever having any power to the key lock. I have a switch on the dash in the heater cluster.

I have spade connectors on the motor wires. I think I have to ground one side of the motor wires and power the other to get the motor to spin up? Anyway that will be the next step.

I need to go to town tomorrow for meds. The Bronk is all torn apart so that leaves the Ranger I rolled this winter. It is far from ready with no interior except seats as I had to bang and jack the top back out and replace the glass. Just got enough windows back in to try a maiden run. It hasn't been 200 feet from the house in months. So tomorrow we will see if it is a runner or parts.

 

Ohhh i see. that could be a bigger problem then... The key SHOULD work as a switch but if the key doesn't fit or it fits and turns but nothing happens then it won't work. If the key doesn't fit you could try to find the nearest locksmith and have them make a key, it can get pricey but if it worked it would be awesome. As for the blade connector, you could ground out one side maybe with an alligator clip type of wire clipped on the wire then a bolt or something, then try the pos side on a battery or the like.

I just thought of something.... if the blade connector is coming **from** the motor, then putting power to it wouldn't do anything.... Dang it, ok so you could take a test light and clip one side to a ground of whatever you can find, i'm sure the window regulator arms would work, then touch the other end on the pos wire on the blade and have someone hit the switch up front if possible... If the light comes on, motor, if not, possibly the switch. If you get a chance try to see inside to tell if there are wires that bypass the switch in the tailgate, if so then it would be the dash switch, if not then it could be the tailgate one causing it to not complete a full circuit. In which case a bypass would/should do some good.

 

Ya Dylan you got it about right. The key and lock work like new. Just no power to it. I wonder if my model ever had it. And ya I was tired and hurtin yesterday when working on the motor. So I had to quit. But you got it about right for how to test it out.

I would think the timing gears are nylon like most all stock ones I have seen. I posted in the engine forum hoping they knew something. Haven't got much back on that yet. It will get a double roller gear set at the least but my main thing is should I do a cam upgrade or not? And what cam is best for a daily driver, rock crawling hunting truck with 33's? And new lifters as well of course.

 

Nylon gears? Hmm i would have thought they were metal, i have seen the nylon/plastic ones on the newer GM cars at the old dealer i worked at but i didn't think they had them on these..

Anyways, yeah they should have had that key switch on the back stock, as far as i know from 78 till 96 they were stock. The 77 and below didn't need motors i don't think. Another thing you may already know or you may not, if you get the window to go down, try to let it go down all the way before you open the tailgate (assuming you do for better access) the reason i say that is because the window has to come in contact with a little arm at the base of the gate that pulls on a lever on the latch mech to allow you to open it. If you try to force the handle while the window is up even a little bit it can bend that little lever and it will look like mine did


It is a bit hard to tell but that little Z looking piece with a plastic connector on top was bent pretty bad. Though only a small amount it cause a load of problems. That being bent made it so my hand didn't sit flush with the tailgate unless i pushed it down, it also hindered the operation of the 2 latches letting the gate down. It is a pretty quick and simple fix but it took me time to pull the mech, figure out what was bent and then figure out how to unbend it, than put it back in and test. It was worth it though.

Just my 30 cents

 

Good info. Thanks. I'll make a trip to town in the Ranger today. So I'll rip and tear on The Bronk tomorrow.

 

I plan to replace the chain and gears on my explorer motor and was pleasantly surprised to find that the stock replacement gear set is a double roller. Only like $30 at Advance.

When repalcing a cam it is advisable to also replace the valve springs to prevent binding and floating. That makes it a good bit harder/more expensive.

 

Thanks for the info Brett. Not sure just how deep I am going to go. Prolly just the timing set and water pump. I don't want her down to long. Lots of fresh new Ford Blue paint. And I will pull the Billit grill and radiator. So the core support and radiator will get a fresh coat of black. I can get the timing set and pump at my local Napa. But need to get the new grill ordered.

 

Good old Ford Blue, look anything like this? Mines still a work in progress, moving slow but still moving.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62639173@N03/7249697816/http://www.flickr.com/photos/62639173@N03/7249697816/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/62639173@N03/, on Flickr